Third Mainland Bridge… nine other longest bridges in Africa

TRIBUNE

Bridges are one of the infrastructural projects that make commuting stress-free. They also strengthen trade and commerce beyond borders. Many bridges have successfully been constructed on the continent, but the focus here is the longest bridges in Africa, according to BusinessDay.

1. 6th October Bridge (20.5 km)

The longest bridge in Africa is the 6th October Bridge. It took almost thirty years for this bridge to be completed in 1996. The 6th October Bridge is a highway in Cairo, Egypt, that crosses the Nile to Downtown Cairo. Other highways that lead to the Cairo International Airport are linked to it. The name of the bridge is a commemoration of the day the Egyptian military crossed the Suez Canal to attack the Israeli army in 1973.

2. Third Mainland Bridge (11.8 km)

Third Mainland Bridge was the longest bridge in Africa until 1996, when the 6th October bridge in Egypt was officially completed. The mainland bridge is the longest of the three bridges connecting Lagos to the Island. It starts from Oworonshoki to the Apapa-Oshodi expressway, then to the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, and ends at the Adeniji Adele Interchange, Lagos Island. 

The Third Mainland Bridge was officially completed in 1990.

3. Suez Canal Bridge (3.9 km)

The Suez Canal Bridge is a link between Africa and Asia. The bridge was a collaborative work between the Japanese and Egyptian governments, officially commissioned in 2001. Suez was constructed to develop areas surrounding the Suez Canal.  

4. Mozambique Island Bridge (3.8 km)

Mozambique Island Bridge connects the Island of Mozambique to the mainland over the Indian Ocean. This bridge has undergone numerous reconstructions since it was launched in 1962. 

5. Dona Ana Bridge (3.7 km)

The Dona Ana Bridge crosses the Zambezi River between Vila de Sena and Mutarara in Mozambique. It is an alternative route to Zambezi against other unreliable bridges. This bridge is the fifth longest in Africa.

6. Armando Emilio Guebuza Bridge (2.37 km)

This bridge was named after the former president of Mozambique, Armando Emilio Guebuza. It is a great link to the southern regions of Mozambique from Maputo. 

7. Qasr Al-Nil Bridge (1.93 km)

Qasr Al-Nil is a bridge constructed in 1931 linking Tahrir Square in Downtown Cairo to Zamalek Island. Qasr is a means of transportation and culture; there are four large bronze lion statues at the east and west of the bridge.

8. Wouri Bridge (1.8 km)

Wouri is a bridge across the Wouri River in Cameroon that facilitates movement within the country. The bridge has undergone different rehabilitation to strengthen trade and commerce.

9. Mkapa Bridge (970 M)

Mkapa Bridge is the longest bridge in Tanzania, 9th in Africa. It cuts across the Rufiji River, connecting the southern regions to other areas of the country. The bridge was named after the former president of Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa, in 2003.

10. Katima Mulilo Bridge (900 M)

The Katima Mulilo Bridge links Namibia’s Trans-Caprivi Highway to the Zambian road network. It facilitates trade from south-central Africa to the Atlantic.

THIS STORY FIRST APPEARED IN TRIBUNE